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Thorsons Upgrade Your Brain Unlock Your Lifes Full Potential.
Do you often feel exhausted and negative? Do you spend your days feeling tired and wired? Your nights unable to fall asleep easily, or without a drink? Do you wake up anxious and stressed and in need a coffee to get going? Do you forget what you were doing, forget people’s names and where you put things? Is your mental acuity and memory slipping? Are you concerned about your memory or mental wellbeing?
Something depressing is happen to humanity, and possibly even you. Our brains are degenerating and – in parallel – we’re seeing a worrying increase in mental illness across the world. Rates of anxiety, depression, dementia, ADHD and autism are all increasing at an alarming rate across the globe. According to the World Health Organisation, our declining brain health is the greatest threat we face – more than cancer, diabetes or obesity.
Individually and collectively,though, we can optimise our brain health and cognitive function – to improve mood, memory, stress resilience, sleep and ability to focus. How? By understanding the powerful effects that nutrition and other holistic lifestyle factors can have on our brains. In Upgrade Your Brain, bestselling author Patrick Holford will draw on his 40 years’ of expertise – as well as countless experts from around the world – to teach us all how to reverse the tide.
Something depressing is happen to humanity, and possibly even you. Our brains are degenerating and – in parallel – we’re seeing a worrying increase in mental illness across the world. Rates of anxiety, depression, dementia, ADHD and autism are all increasing at an alarming rate across the globe. According to the World Health Organisation, our declining brain health is the greatest threat we face – more than cancer, diabetes or obesity.
Individually and collectively,though, we can optimise our brain health and cognitive function – to improve mood, memory, stress resilience, sleep and ability to focus. How? By understanding the powerful effects that nutrition and other holistic lifestyle factors can have on our brains. In Upgrade Your Brain, bestselling author Patrick Holford will draw on his 40 years’ of expertise – as well as countless experts from around the world – to teach us all how to reverse the tide.
- GenresHealth
368 pages, Paperback
Published April 25, 2024
25 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Holford
175 books54 followersPatrick Holford, BSc, DipION, FBANT, NTCRP, is a pioneer in new approaches to health and nutrition. He is a leading spokesman on nutrition in the media, specialising in the field of mental health. He is the author of 37 books, translated into over 30 languages and selling millions of copies worldwide, including The Optimum Nutrition Bible, The Low GL-Diet Bible, Optimum Nutrition for the Mind and The 10 Secrets of 100% Healthy People, 10 Secrets of Healthy Ageing and Good Medicine.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 6, 2025
It's my memory I worry about. I speak to friends who try to remind me of events we attended or mutual acquaintances made but all I have is the vaguest dream-like recollection. Meanwhile they recall sharp detail in high definition. This brought me to considering if I might at least delay senility, if not fully ‘upgrade' my brain.
Here are my main takeaways:
Homocysteine (toxic amino acid) is the main bad guy damaging my brain and it's a biomarker for many different diseases. The main heroes in the fight against it are B6, folate and B12. These can be obtained via an array of vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and greens - these lower homocysteine.
If your levels are really high (and it's important to test for it) then it's worth supplementing those main hero elements. However, you also need good levels of omega-3 for these to be effective. Oily fish are a good source. Together, these are the main essential nutrients for a healthy brain.
Generally, and unsurprisingly, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol are bad for it. You can throw in social media too on the grounds that it tends to induce stress but other addictive substances have a similar detrimental effect.
Another key message is that a low carbohydrate diet is good for the brain. Ketones are made in the liver and we can get ketosis to kick in by occasionally fasting for 18 hours or more. Doing so triggers our bodies to go into `repair' mode.
Other methods are to consume antioxidant rich foods high in polyphenols. For example, olives, blueberries, kale, asparagus, avocado, beetroot, dark chocolate and others. Meanwhile, foods high in fibre like oats, chia and flax seeds along with fermented foods like sauerkraut, yoghurt, and kefir aid your microbiome, which is important because you gut is your `second brain'.
The other factors besides what we consume are physical exercise, social interaction and quality sleep.
Some of the book's content went over my head because I'm not scientifically literate but it's written in an accessible style such that I think I've grasped enough to be motivated to keep improving my diet and lifestyle.
For some readers, all the extra materials referred to may be a bonus but for me I found it irritating to be repeatedly encouraged to go online to take proprietary tests and sign up to one thing or another. After all, I read books to get away from the internet. I'm also sceptical of the value of brain training apps, which the author seems to be a fan of.
These are minor complaints though since overall the author's mission is clearly positive and his advice very valuable.
Here are my main takeaways:
Homocysteine (toxic amino acid) is the main bad guy damaging my brain and it's a biomarker for many different diseases. The main heroes in the fight against it are B6, folate and B12. These can be obtained via an array of vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and greens - these lower homocysteine.
If your levels are really high (and it's important to test for it) then it's worth supplementing those main hero elements. However, you also need good levels of omega-3 for these to be effective. Oily fish are a good source. Together, these are the main essential nutrients for a healthy brain.
Generally, and unsurprisingly, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol are bad for it. You can throw in social media too on the grounds that it tends to induce stress but other addictive substances have a similar detrimental effect.
Another key message is that a low carbohydrate diet is good for the brain. Ketones are made in the liver and we can get ketosis to kick in by occasionally fasting for 18 hours or more. Doing so triggers our bodies to go into `repair' mode.
Other methods are to consume antioxidant rich foods high in polyphenols. For example, olives, blueberries, kale, asparagus, avocado, beetroot, dark chocolate and others. Meanwhile, foods high in fibre like oats, chia and flax seeds along with fermented foods like sauerkraut, yoghurt, and kefir aid your microbiome, which is important because you gut is your `second brain'.
The other factors besides what we consume are physical exercise, social interaction and quality sleep.
Some of the book's content went over my head because I'm not scientifically literate but it's written in an accessible style such that I think I've grasped enough to be motivated to keep improving my diet and lifestyle.
For some readers, all the extra materials referred to may be a bonus but for me I found it irritating to be repeatedly encouraged to go online to take proprietary tests and sign up to one thing or another. After all, I read books to get away from the internet. I'm also sceptical of the value of brain training apps, which the author seems to be a fan of.
These are minor complaints though since overall the author's mission is clearly positive and his advice very valuable.
August 13, 2024
I recently completed 'Upgrade Your Brain' by Patrick Holford and found it to be a truly enlightening read. The book was not only easy to understand and quick to get through, but it was also packed with valuable information. I appreciated the specific recommendations provided, including dosages, which set it apart from other health books. Additionally, the abundance of additional resources for further learning was a welcome bonus. This book has been instrumental in my quest to understand the true needs of the human body amidst industry influences. Highly recommended for anyone looking to take charge of their health journey.
June 14, 2024
I'm so pleased I read this book
Although I have read Dr Dale Bredesen's work: THE END OF ALZHEIMER'S and have followed his protocol with excellent results, I found I still had a few extras to learn, especially in relation to the harmful effects of homocysteine in causing shrinkage of the brain.
As I have MCI with Posterior Cortical Atrophy (shrinkage of the back area of the brain) I received a rude awakening to find that my homocysteine levels were high. So I have every intention of following the advice given in this easy to read book, which I recommend highly.
Both those with sharp brains as well as those with neurological issues will benefit greatly from the sound, science-backed information to be found in this excellent work.
Although I have read Dr Dale Bredesen's work: THE END OF ALZHEIMER'S and have followed his protocol with excellent results, I found I still had a few extras to learn, especially in relation to the harmful effects of homocysteine in causing shrinkage of the brain.
As I have MCI with Posterior Cortical Atrophy (shrinkage of the back area of the brain) I received a rude awakening to find that my homocysteine levels were high. So I have every intention of following the advice given in this easy to read book, which I recommend highly.
Both those with sharp brains as well as those with neurological issues will benefit greatly from the sound, science-backed information to be found in this excellent work.
March 29, 2025
This was a very informative read with scientific evidence. I know, when I say "it includes scientific sources and evidence" it seems like it was a thesis read but the author has a way of incorporating real-world references in with the quote-on-quote boring / tedious information about how your brain works. Holford's writing style is so well thought out and put together, you won't want to put the book down!
September 30, 2024
Fantastic Book on the workings of the Brain
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews